Electronic Observation Room Setup

The electronic observation room setup (see Figure 6-7) enables the observers to be physically separated from the testing activities. From a separate observation room, they can watch but are not set up to communicate directly with the test moderator.

The signal from the video camera(s) as well as the screen image, if the test involves software, web sites, or web-based applications, are both directed to  video monitor(s) in the observation room. The room could be in a completely different part of the building or adjacent to the testing area.

When the testing area is adjacent to the observation room, you typically use speaker phones dialed into each other to provide observers with audio for the session.

Communication between the test moderator and observers can occur face to face or via notes during breaks or at the end of sessions, or by instant messaging (if you are taking notes on a computer) during sessions. If you use Morae from TechSmith and all of your observers are on the same local area network (LAN) as the testing machine, observers can use one module of Morae to see and hear a feed from the testing room from wherever they are. Likewise, you can set up WebEx, NetMeeting, or GoToMeeting under which to run the participant's session so that others outside the immediate area can "observe" remotely-